# Women’s Equality Day Spotlight:  Kalisia Winkey 

/ Published Aug. 24, 2022
Richmond, Va., 
Women’s Equality Day takes place in the U.S. each year on Aug. 26. This year’s national theme is “Celebrating Women’s Right to Vote.”The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave most women the right to vote, was passed by Congress in 1919. Men and women of color were not given the right to do so until later with the Indian Citizenship Act giving Native-Americans the right to vote in 1924, and the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 granted all Asian Americans the right to become citizens and vote. However, it was not until 1965 that the Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law on August 6, 1965, made voting possible for African American women.Defense Logistics Aviation’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Office, along with the DLA Aviation Engineering Directorate’s special emphasis planning team, will recognize Women’s Equality Day and women’s contributions to the agency’s global mission in providing logistics support to America’s warfighters throughout the entire month of August.Today, Kalisia Winkey, a contract specialist in the Supplier Operations Commodities Directorate, shares what Women’s Equality Day means to her.

**What do you think about when you hear “Women’s Equality Day” and what does Women’s Equality Day mean to you?** Women’s Equality Day brings to mind how historically the gender wage gap has been allowed to persist simply because society’s view of women, and our capabilities remains stagnant and skewed. Women are a powerful demographic within the workforce and our role as caregivers, keepers of the culture and matriarchs only adds to the talents and skills that we bring to corporations across every industry. Women should not lose out on promotions, pay and other opportunities for professional development because we serve in other critical capacities. We should be valued for our contributions to our families and communities because with it, we only enhance the fabric of our society. We have never been a liability. We are an asset to the American workforce with infinite potential that has been denied equitable opportunity. DLA Aviation is a shining example of what happens when we apply an equitable lens. Our unit has multiple women in high positions. Being able to see this kind of representation on a daily basis speaks volumes to me.

**In your opinion, what challenges remain for women today in the workplace and why? What are your recommendations for overcoming these challenges?** The biggest challenge facing women in the workplace today is the lack of commitment from organizations to create systems of support that will allow women to thrive such as mentorships and ongoing opportunities to do collaborative work outside of the scope of administrative duties. The pandemic forced many industries to increase their adaptability quotient by leaps and bounds in order to stay operational. We should use the flexibility and agility we’ve gained in these times to change our approach to the challenges that remain. It starts with being flexible in our thoughts around who gets a voice and a seat at the table. We can pay homage to the theme of this year - “celebrating women’s right to vote” - by creating spaces in the workplace for women to advocate for our needs knowing that our voice is our vote.

**In your opinion, what American woman has been an example of “paving the way for democracy in our country” and why?** Shirley Chisholm, the first African American congresswoman in addition to the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for the Office of President from a major political party is an example that stands out to me. Her motto “unbought and unbossed” is one that many women can look to today not only in advancing the political landscape for women, but also in our everyday lives where the message that women are not fit to occupy certain spaces still prevails.